Guangzhou Leopard: Fight with grit, win the tough battle!

Reported by journalist Wang Wei and intern Li Xin. On the evening of April 11, Guangzhou Leopard hosted the top-ranked Wuxi Wu Gou at Yuexiushan Stadium. Thanks to a goal from foreign player Kamara, Guangzhou Leopard won this clash of titans 1-0, halting their opponent's winning streak. After the match, Guangzhou Leopard's head coach Feng Feng stated that the entire team displayed grit and home-field momentum in this game, which is more commendable than their tactical execution.

In the previous away match against the newly promoted Guangxi Hengchen, Guangzhou Leopard struggled to score and ultimately suffered their first defeat of the season. Returning home this round to face another newly promoted team, Wuxi Wu Gou, Guangzhou Leopard, aiming for promotion, urgently needed a victory to stop the slide and rebound. As the runner-up of the 2025 China League Two, Wuxi Wu Gou, though a newcomer to the China League One, has performed remarkably well, being the only team to achieve three consecutive wins. Scoring 9 goals in 3 rounds far surpasses Guangzhou Leopard (5 goals), who rank second on the goals chart.

Feng Feng did not underestimate such an opponent. In the starting lineup, he deployed Xiao Kun as the left center-back, partnering him with the recovered Liao Junjian and captain Jiang Jihong to form the defensive line; Kamara returned to the starting lineup, with three foreign players forming the forward attacking group; the midfield positions retained the original personnel combination.

From the start of the match, neither side was conservative, showing strong attacking desire and rapid ball possession exchanges. In the 24th minute, Kamara fired a long-range shot that deflected off a defender and into the net, giving Guangzhou Leopard a 1-0 lead. This was Kamara's first goal since joining Guangzhou Leopard. After the match, he said: "I am happy about my goal, but for me, it's not important; what matters is securing the 3 points. We trained and adjusted for this goal throughout the week; it was the team's effort that brought this result." After conceding, Wuxi Wu Gou applied considerable pressure on Guangzhou Leopard's defense through long passes and flank attacks. In the 43rd minute, Tang Rui created space with a feint on the right and unleashed a powerful shot, which was denied by Guangzhou Leopard goalkeeper Xiao Jiaqi. At halftime, Guangzhou Leopard led 1-0.

In the second half, Guangzhou Leopard made substitution adjustments first, bringing in Liu Bin and Wang Junjie, replacing Hou Yu and Wang Haobin. Wuxi Wu Gou substituted Yi Xianlong and Wang Yifan. Throughout the second half, both sides continued their aggressive attacks. Several scoring opportunities for Wuxi Wu Gou were heroically blocked by Xiao Jiaqi. After Kamara and Nikon missed one-on-one chances, Guangzhou Leopard also failed to extend their lead. The final score remained 1-0.

After this round, Nantong Zhiyun leads the standings with 3 wins and 1 draw, accumulating 10 points. Guangzhou Leopard, Wuxi Wu Gou, and Shenzhen Young follow closely with 9 points.

At the post-match press conference, Feng Feng's remarks were particularly notable. "For this match, I want to first avoid discussing technique," Feng Feng said. "A team without fighting spirit, not being tough, and failing to display home-field momentum is unacceptable. I've been thinking: what is my coaching philosophy? It's about being able to win tough battles! First, we must have grit on our home ground. Today's match was a clash of titans. I hoped our players could display home-field momentum and play with more grit. I am very grateful for the players' efforts; they achieved it. Today, all team members performed exceptionally well."

Regarding tactical deployment, Feng Feng said: "We demanded more forward pressing in this match, so we compressed the distance between the three lines. The opponent excels at playing behind-the-defense passes; our defensive line did not retreat too deep, reducing the threat of their behind-the-defense plays."

In the previous round, Guangxi Hengchen applied high-pressure tactics against Guangzhou Leopard from the start and achieved success. Therefore, after the match on the evening of April 11, a journalist asked Wuxi Wu Gou's head coach Jin Fengji whether their aggressive attacking approach away against Guangzhou Leopard was inspired by Guangxi Hengchen's tactics. Jin Fengji said: "I must emphasize that we were not conservative in tactics, but Guangzhou Leopard's foreign players are very capable. Our players might have been somewhat conservative in their on-field execution. Regarding this issue, we will thoroughly review after returning and strive to perform well in the next match."

The recovered Liao Junjian played a crucial role in Guangzhou Leopard's clean sheet. "I missed two matches due to injury previously, especially the last away match, which ended very unsatisfactorily. That was a painful lesson and warning for us. This week, we engaged in self-reflection and adjustment, making significant changes. Facing the three-win leader in this match, we executed what we prepared in training, and the result came naturally."

Goalkeeper Xiao Jiaqi, who made several brilliant saves throughout the match, believed that winning at home boosted the team's confidence: "We lost the last away match because we didn't perform well ourselves. Returning home this time, our team made significant changes, especially in mental attitude. This is proof that our team is moving in a positive direction."

On the evening of April 19, in the 5th round of China League One, Guangzhou Leopard will host Meizhou Hakka at home.

It is noteworthy that on the evening of April 11, Meizhou Hakka reversed Guangxi Hengchen 2-1 at home, handing their opponent their second defeat of the season and triggering senior personnel changes at Guangxi Hengchen Club. Post-match reports indicated that Guangxi Hengchen intends to adjust the club's general manager position.